Alphabet type



July 12, 1932. A, A DlETZ 1,866,629

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Patented July 12, 1932 PATENT ()FFICE AUGUST A. IIDIETZ, F BICIEIIYIIOII'I| VIRGINIA ALPHABET TYPE Application led March 13, 1929. Serial No. 346,680.

M invention relates to alphabet type and has or its primary object a scientifically designed form for alphabet type which reduces materially the eye-strain incident to viewing type now in common use, and provides a rendition ofthe Roman alphabet, with all the numerals and characters incident thereto, which does not disturb, destroy or re-form the basic form of the various letters, numerals ,o and characters, but which by adherence to the principles underlying my new alphabet, makes printed matter easier to perceive and read.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, a brief comment on the underlying scientific principle upon which the 1nvention is based, and on the history of the development of type-printing, will be necessary. Various ob3ects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as this comment and description proceeds.

The physical act of ocular perception involves an instantaneous moving of the sight along the contour of an object. Thus we distinguish an oval from a circle and a triangle from a rectangle. This is readily demonstrated. If there is suddenly presented be fore the eye an oval and a circle, the eye will distinguish the difference in form immediately. This is because it is naturally simple and easy for the eye to follow the gracefully curved outline of these figures and to perceive without effort the difference in curvature. If a hexagon and a septagon be now suddenly presented before the eye, the e e will hesitate, pause, blink, travel along t e lines, unconsciously stoppin at each angle to count, until it has travel the entire contour. Therefore, obviously greater effort on` muscles of the eye-lid in the shutting-out of zig-zag li htning. It is because sight cannot follow t e angles at the speed ofthe apparition. Snake-curve lightning, however, exerts no strain on the eye for sight keeps 6I pace with curves at any speed.

We must, therefore, conclude that the ocular perception of curves requires less effort and involves less eye-strain than it does of straight lines andl angles. Straight lines and angles tire the sight, whereas curves are restful.

The human eye is aball-like device controlled by muscles. We can roll our eyes without appreciable effort or strain in following the outline of circles and curves, but strain at once sets in when we attempt to follow the outlines of angular and pointed ob- Jects.

Analyzing a little further the physical phase of ocular perception, we find that the eye in viewing an area of parallel lines of varying thicknesses, either horizontal or vertical, experences a sensation of fatigue and often results in Visionary distort-ion of the lines and in optical illusions. On the other hand, perception of lines or other objects having an evenly and proportionately distributed mass of color, is restful. The logical conclusion, therefore, is that a rapid succession of li ht and shadow, represented by alternating ne and bold lines, on a printed page for instance, annoys and strains the vision, Whereas, a uniformity in the distriblitflad mass of color on the printed page is rest- From the foregoing, is deduced the theory upon which the principles of my invention are based, namely, that curves are more restful to the eye than straight lines, and angles, and that an even and proportionately distributed mass of color is likewise more restful than alternating lights and shadows of varying widths. The rinciple then upon which this invention is the Roman alphabet with all its letters, numbers and characters, is in short that a balanced mass of color, combined with the elimination of straight lines, sharp angles, and

pointed projections, if applied to printed 10 ased, and as applied to matter will reduce to a minimum the eyestrain e erieneed in readin To attain this re t has been the eifo Aand aim of scientists and letter-designers for many years. 1

The complete elimination of straight lines and angles and the balancing of the colormass has never before been embodied in a design for the Roman alphabet. The Roman alphabetl may be said to be the result of evolution. Its origin is generally attributed to the Phnicians, and the characters of their written language were twenty-two in number. The forms of the Phnician letters and characters were angular. Each re resented a phonetic sound of their s eech. T e Greeks later adopted and adapte these angular de signs of the Phnicians to the phonetic sounds of their speech, virtually retaining all the angular forms. The Romans, in turn, ado ted and adapted the forms of the Greek alp abet, but gave to it certain curves of grace as we find in the nine capital letters B-C--D--G-O-P-Q-R and S. Except for the addition of the capital letters J and U, we have used this Roman alphabet without change in form for some 3,000 years.

The phenomenal spread of printing 1n the Roman alphabet, and the increased speed at which one reads today has forced upon the attention of science the fact of an increased eye-strain. Applicant presents in this invention the remedy for this condition. Applicants al habet type, formin the subject of this app ication, eliminates t ose features of the present Roman alphabet, which, as shown in the foregoing discussion forms the cause of eye-strain in reading. Ever design of the Roman alphabet in use to ay is constructed of straight lines, curves, rectangles and all other degrees of an les, and square, pointed or round serifs. urthermore, all Roman alphabets in use today and particularly the types employed for rinting of newspapers, magazines, and ooks,

have the design so formed as to present alternating thick and thin stems and curves.

Applicant has completed what the Romans perhaps set out to do some 3,000 years ago by adding lines of grace and providing an even and proportional distribution of the color-mass to every character of the alpha bet. Applicant, as before stated, neither disturbs, distorts or re-forms the basic formsof the characters, and therefore, his new alphabet type is not a style, fad, or freak alphabet, a pealing to a passing fancy as do many new orms o alphabets designed from time to time. Applicants inventlon has a truly scientific basis for its inception.

As illustrative of my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a art of this apllcatlon, certain forms of al lliabet type em dying my invention. The allowing brief detailed description will imacat be clear upon reference to these drawings` wherein like reference numerals indicate 1i parts. i

In the drawings Figure 1 shows an alphabet of roman capitalsand small or lower case letters, together with numbers and commonly used characters and signs. n

Figure 2 illustrates an alphabet of italics, both capital and small or lower case letters, together with gures, characters and signs, to match the roman.v

Fi re 3 shows an alphabet of heading or title etters and numbers embodying my in'- vention. n 4

Fi re 4 is a detailed illustration, illustrating t e principle upon which my invention is applied to various letters of the alphabet.

Referrin now particularly to Figure 4, the principle 0% curved lines and balanced colormass underlying my invention will be clear from the letters and parts of letters illustrated. It may be observed in the letter D Shown in this ligure that the lines forming the outline of such letters as B-D-P-R- etc. are lall curved. The vertical stem 1 curves throughout its length to the flares at the upper and lower ends thereof. The top 2 and ottom 3 of the llines forming such letters as B--D-P and R are shown to have a decided curve by comparison with the straight lines 4.

This figure also shows at 5 the formation of the top of such letters as C, G, and S in accordance with my invention, namely, al1 curved lines. At 6 is illustrated the curvature of the lines outlinin the top of such letters as E-F and T. T e reference character 7 shows the curvature of the top of stems provided with serifs found in such letters as I and H.

The curve of the lines outlinin such lower case or small letters as 1, c, q and b is indicated clearly in Figure 4 at 8.

Reference to the other figures of the drawing will clearly show the use of the proportionately distributed and balanced mass of color, embodied in this invention. The proportion of color-mass of the various parts of the letters and characters providing the most restful appearance to the eye maybe eX- pressed as 100% for all down strokes and from 7 5% to 80% in thickness for all up Strokes and cross bars. This is purely a comparative weight or thickness of strokes upon which the letters are formed, and such proportion tends to ve an even and balanced mass of color rest ul to the eye.

Illustrative of this feature of the invention, attention is directed to Figure 1 of the drawings where this distribution of color mass is clearly apparent in all the characters. Note particularl the upstroke and cross bar of the capital A as being about of the mass of the downstroke. Note also this feature in capitalY letters EL U, and W.

On such letters as B--D-P and R, having lobes 9 (see Figure 4), the weiglht of the swell or stroke should drop slig tly below center. This is also clear from the other figures of the drawings.

The alphabet t not depend alone or its value on its relief of e e-strain, although such may be said to be tlie principal object and pur ose thereof. Nevertheless, the alphabet has ot er ractical advantages particularly when used or newspapers, magazines vand bookprintin In these classes of printing, the eliminatlon of angles, sharp corners and straight lines will prevent the characters lling 1n with ink, as is common at present because of the low grade of printing inks and paper used and speed of the presses on these classes of rint-l ing. Furthermore, the evenly distri uted strain on the lines of the letters and characterswill insure considerably greater resistance to wear.

The letters and characters of this alphabet type may be used in such comparative sizes as to best suit them for matrices, on type setting and casting machines, such as are commonly used today and readily lend themselves to both the roman and the mating italic letters and are therefore readily adaptable for two-letter molds or matrices. Obviously the adaptation of my invention to the multlplicity of variations in forms and design of al habet type gives to it a wide range of use ulness, and I do not wish to be limited to the specific forms and designs shown in this application. The designs herein shown are illustrative only and are intended to serve merely as an indication of the wide usefulness of my invention, limited only by the appended clalms.

I claim:

1. A font of alphabet type characters each characterized by entire lines.

2.` A font of alphabet type characters each characterized by all curved regular lines and the absence of sharp angles.

3. A font of alphabet t e characters each characterized by a distri uted color-mass in curved regular the proportion of 100% for down strokes and i 7 5% to 80% for up strokes and cross bars in thickness.

4. A font of alphabet t characters each characterized by a distri uted color-mass in the proportion of 100% for down strokes and o to 80% for up strokes and cross bars in thic ess, and by all curved lines.

In testimony whereof I ax my si ature. AUUs'r A. D rz.

e herein described does 

